Box surface wrapping machines



1970 J. H. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,492,784

BOX SURFACE WRAPPING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 v 5 G m T u NW E, ELV vw M o u Feb. 3, 1970 J. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,492,784

7 BOX SURFACE WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Dec. 20. 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 QgwnAzv \lr'reLj v 6 AGENT' Feb. 3, 1970 J. H. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,492,784

BOX SURFACE WRAPPING MACHINES I 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 Feb 3, 1970 J. H. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,492,784

BOX SURFACE WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Dec. 20, 1966 e Sheets- Sheet 4 V ll klven'rang. J r-m H. uumummg Feb. 3, 1970 J. H. WILLIAMS E AL 3,492,784

BOX SURFACE WRAPPING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 20, 1966 Feb. 3, 1970 J. H. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,492,784

BOX SURFACE WRAPPING MCHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed ,Dec. 20, 1966 luvaurozs eL BY W m/ AGEN United States Patent 3,492,784 BOX SURFACE WRAPPING MACHINES John H. Williams, Keyworth, and Reinhard Vitols, New

Basford, England, assignors to Caledex Machine Company Limited Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 603,231 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 21, 1965, 54,224/ 65 Int. Cl. B65]: 43/46, 59/00 U.S. Cl. 53-209 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for feeding closed top boxes on glued wrappets, in which a horizontally advanceable and retractable carrier has end limit stops for a box and movable latches to spring in behind the box for carrying the box to the wrapping machine, with guide rail means for guiding the latches to retract them while the carrier returns alongside a box and then to allow the latches to spring in, adjustment means for different size boxes, and removable fastening means for the latches permitting change to clips for open topped boxes.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to box conveying and surface wrapping machines of the type in which box assemblies, each comprising a box on a gummed wrapper having side and end flaps, are successively conveyed to a transfer station whereat a transfer mechanism grasps each box in turn and transfers the box assembly to a box surface wrapping machine whereat a form block lowers the box assembly passed control elements which apply the side and end flaps of the wrapper to the side and end walls of the box. It is usual in this type of machine to provide suction elements carried by the transfer mechanism for control of the leading flap of the wrapper in its passage from the conveyor to the wrapping machine.

It is also customary for the transfer mechanism to be separate from the conveyor and to operate at a side of the conveyor so that the transfer takes place sideways from the conveyor.

According to our U.S. Patent No. 3,101,655 the improved arrangement is provided of combining the transfer mechanism with the conveyor and having the transfer mechanism operating longitudinally of the conveyor so that the transfer takes place in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor to a location beyond the end of the conveyor.

According to our U.S. Patent No. 3,122,975 the conveyor disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. Patent No. 3,101,655 is adapted for an end part of it to have a small raising and lowering movement, the lower position being to allow for the transfer mechanism to move horizontally to the transfer station without fouling the flaps of the wrapper, and the upper position being to present the leading flap and the leading edges of the side flaps to a position where they are readily responsive to suction or other control elements.

Although the machine according to said patents are generally satisfactory, there are instances, for example where the underside of the wrapper is of particularly glossy nature, when, with the machine operating at high speed, the box assemblies can over-shoot the end of the conveyor before being grasped by the transfer mechanism.

In order to avoid this over-shoot, a machine has been provided in which the transfer mechanism is timed to move to the transfer station prior to a box assembly being conveyed to the transfer station, and the transfer mechanism carries with it limit stops which consequently function to stop the progress of the box assembly precisely at the transfer station, and for the purpose of transferring the box assembly to the wrapping machine, the transfer mechanism embodies front clips which, at the transfer station, are engaged with the upper edge of the front wall of the box (the box being of open topped form) so that the box Will be carried with the transfer mechanism in its return from the transfer station to the wrapping machine.

Although this arrangement is satisfactory for open topped boxes it cannot be used in any instance where the box is not open at the top enabling the front clips to be used. For example in another instance it is desired to surface wrap a box having a lid, the box and lid being conveyed in upturned manner on a gummed wrapper by the conveyor, so that in the wrapping machine the flaps of the wrapper secure the lid to the box followed by suitable cutting at a later stage. In the absense of the clips referred to there are no means for releasably connecting the box to the transfer mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide transfer mechanism of such improved construction in conjunction with "limit stops to prevent overshooting that the machine will operate satisfactorily for surface wrapping boxes having lids.

The invention provides in a box conveying and surface wrapping machine having a transfer mechanism movable between a transfer station on the conveyor and a box surface wrapping machine, with limit stops toprevent overshooting of a box, latch devices in the transfer mechanisms and having latches for engagement behind the rear of a box, with control mechanism for holding the latches clear of the box while being received by the transfer mechanism at the transfer station and for engaging behind the box when received in the transfer mechanism. These latches are conveniently readily removable, and the aforesaid front clips may be readily removable, whereby the machine is capable of use either with the front clips for open topped boxes or with the rear latches for closed or open topped boxes. Conveniently each latch carries a suction or other control element for control of a rear flap of a box wrapper.

This is a particularly advantageous arrangement since earlier machines such for example as the improved machine of said U.S. Patent No. 3,122,975 have not been able to deal satisfactorily with boxes having lids because of a tendency for the walls of the lid to bow outwardly together with the fact that side arms of the transfer mechanism have been located close to the sides of the box and spaced upwardly from the conveyor, such that the bowed walls of the lid can become located under the side bars of the transfer mechanism thereby resulting in crushing of these walls at the stage when the end of the conveyor is raised. In the present construction, with the latches, the side arms can be spaced from the side walls of the boxes to such an extent that they cannot foul the box lids when the conveyor end is raised. Furthermore, when in other machines the box assembly leaves the conveyor, there is a strong tendency, particularly when the depth of the box is greater than its width, for the rear flap to curl under so that it cannot be properly controlled in the wrapping machine, whereas in the present improved arrangement with rear suction or other control elements, the rear flap can be held controlled thereby in its passage from the conveyor to the wrapping machine.

Conveniently the side bars of the transfer mechanism are adjustable, carrying the latches, limit stops and suction or other control elements with them, for different widths of boxes, and the latches are conveniently adjustable for boxes of different lengths.

Conveniently for operation of the latches they are provided with followers having releasable engagement with guide rails.

Conveniently springs are employed to bias the latches towards the box.

Conveniently also the latches have a slight wedge action against the rear wall of the box, and the limit stops may be spring stops to cater for slight variations in dimensions of the box, and whereby the springs are not relied on to maintain the latches in engagement with the rear wall of the box.

The foregoing and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described, as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side sectional view of a box conveying and surface wrapping machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of conveyor and transfer mechanism shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one side part of said transfer mechanism.

FIGURES 4 to 7 are enlarged plan views showing operation of a latch device in said transfer mechanism.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the other side part of said transfer mechanism.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the box conveying and surface wrapping machine shown is of the type comprising a support frame 1 supporting a conveyor belt 2 and a box surface wrapping machine indicated generally at 3, as in our Patent No. 970,108, to which reference is directed for full details. Briefly, a transfer mechanism indicated generally at 4 is combined with the conveyor belt 2 and it is reciprocated, in a direction longitudinally of the conveyor belt 2, by a cam 5, between a transfer station S over the end of the conveyor belt 2 and a position over the wrapping machine 3. For this purpose a cam follower lever 6 operated by the cam is connected by links 7, 7, FIGURE 2, to a transverse bar 8 to which are connected side transfer arms 9, 10, extending longitudinally of the conveyor 2.

These transfer side arms 9, are moved by said cam 5 from the transfer station S on the conveyor 2, as shown for the arm 9 in FIGURE 1, to said wrapping machine 3 and which is at a location beyond the end of the conveyor belt 2, at a time when a form block 11 of the wrapping machine is at an upper location, and the transfer side arms 9, 10 are returned from the wrapping machine 3 to the transfer station S over the end of the conveyor belt 2 at a time before a box, represented at B, is advanced by the conveyor belt 2 to the transfer station S and while the form block 11 is lowered in the wrapping machine. This timing of movements between the transfer side arms 9, 10, operation of the wrapping machine, and advance of the box by the conveyor, is for the purpose of preventing boxes overshooting from the end of the conveyor.

More specifically there is carried by the transfer side arms 9, 10, limit stops 12, 13, FIGURE 2, through the intermediary of brackets 14, 15, which, when the transfer side arms 9, 10 are at the transfer station S, they are disposed in the path of the front wall FW of the box B being advanced by the conveyor belt 2, thereby to prevent any overshoot.

Associated with these limit stops 12, 13 are suction or other control elements 16, 17 for holding up front flaps of a gurnmed wrapper disposed underneath the box. There may also be suction or control elements for holding up the front edges of side flaps of said wrapper.

The machine also conveniently incorporates means for effecting small raising and lowering movements of the end of the conveyor belt 2 substantially as disclosed in our said U.S. Patent No. 3,122,975 to which reference is directed for full details. Briefly this mechanism comprises a platform 18, FIGURE 1, disposed under the top lap of the conveyor belt 2 and having small raising and low; ering movements imparted to it through the intermediary of pivoted arm mechanisms 19, 20 inter-connected by 1ink 21 and operated through a cam follower lever 22 from a cam associated with said cam 5.

This mechanism is operated to lower the front end of the upper lap of the conveyor belt 2 in preparation for advance of the box B with its underside wrapper to the transfer station S, the lowered belt lap ensuring that the flaps of the wrapper are not fouled by the transfer mechanism 4. Then the conveyor belts upper lap is raised by said mechanism 18 to 22 to present the wrapper flaps at an elevated level whereat said suction or other control elements are readily operative on their adjacent flap parts.

It is to be noted that the transfer side arms 9, 10 are spaced outwardly an appreciable distance from the side walls SW, SW1 of the box.

It is desired for this machine to surface-wrap boxes having lids. In this instance each box is applied to the conveyor 2 in inverted manner with a lid underneath, and the wrapper underneath the lid, and when this box assembly is advanced by the conveyor belt 2 to the transfer station S special mechanism is required for securing the box to the transfer side arms 9, 10 enabling the transfer mechanism 4 to carry the box assembly into the wrapping machine 3.

For this purpose there is provided a pair of pivoted latch devices 23, 24, FIGURE 2, which are normally held in an outward inoperative position enabling the box B to be advanced by the conveyor belt 2 past them into engagement with the limit stops 12, 1'3 and thereafter to be moved inwards to engage behind the rear wall RW of the box B.

For this purpose each latch device is of a construction now to be described with reference to FIGURES 3 and 8, references raised to the first degree being applied to like parts of the two latch devices. Referring to these figures each latch device 23, 24 comprises a bracket 25, 25' mounted on the transfer side arm 9, 10 and having pivoted to it a latch 26, 26'. The mounting of the bracket 25, 25' on the transfer side arm 9, 10 is through the medium of a split collar 27, 27 and screw bolts such as 27a, FIGURE 8 thus permitting adjustment of the latch device longitudinally of the transfer side arm 9, 10 and also permitting removal of the latch device if and when desired.

The bracket 25, 25' has a base arm 28, 28' at one end of which is a pivot 29, 29 for one end of the latch 26, 26'.

The latch 26, 26' comprises a strip metal part 30, 30' extending under said bracket base 2 8, 28' and from said pivot 29, 29' to a location at the opposite end of said base 28, 28' where it has an outer upturned lug 31, 31 connected by a spring 32, 32' to a l-ug 33, 33' on the bracket base 28, 28'. The lug 31, 31' also mounts an adjusting screw 34, 34' bearing against the outer side of the bracket base 28, 28'.

From the location of the lug 31, 31' the latch has a triangular extension 35, 35' at the end of which there is an outwardly directed arm 36, 36' carrying a roller 37, 37' and an inwardly directed arm 38, 38' carrying a roller 39, 39.

The outer roller 37, 37' is adapted to co-operate with a guide rail 40, 40' which is of long strip form having a forward curved end 40a, 40a and a rear end 40b, 40b secured by rivets such as 41, 42, FIGURE 7, to a stationary bar 43, 43' carried by a bracket 44, 44', FIGURE 2, which in turn is carried by the machine frame. At a location in the side bar 43, 43' opposite the rear end of an advanced box B there is a cut-out 43a, 43a.

In operation of the latch device 24 (operation of the latch 23 being complementary at the other side of the box) it will be first assumed that the transfer mechanism 4 is returning from the wrapping machine 3 towards the transfer station S over the conveyor belt 2. As the latch device 24, FIGURE 4, approaches the curved end 40a of the guide strip 40, the outer roller 37 engages the outer side of the curved portion 40a, as indicated by the left hand roller 37 in broken lines, so that on continued movement towards the transfer station S, the outer roller 37 is cammed outwardly by the curved portion 40a of the rail 40 thereby to move the latch 26 outwardly against the action of the spring 32 so that the inner roller 3-9 eventually becomes disposed, as indicated in the right hand broken lines, well clear of the path BL of the side wall SW of the box.

When the outer roller 37 has reached a position on the rear end 40b of the guide strip 40, as indicated by the right hand broken lines, there is a temporary pause in the motion obtained from the cam 5.

During this pause, the conveyor belt 2 is operated to advance a box assembly B into the transfer station S as permitted by the outwardly disposed inner roller 39 and as further permitted, without fouling of the wrapper flaps, by the lowering of the forward end of the conveyor belts upper lap.

The box B is carried by the conveyor belt 2 until its front wall FW, FIGURE 5, strikes the stationary limit stops such as 13 which are conveniently of cushioning leaf spring form. I

Immediately following this stage the retraction of the transfer mechanism 4 is re-started by the cam 5 whereupon the outer roller 37 of the latch 26 immediately registers with the cut-out 43a in the bar 43 so that the spring 32 swings the latch 26 inwardly during which the outer roller 37 passes through the cut-out 43a, FIGURES 3, 5 and 8 and the inner roller 39 engages behind the rear wall RW, FIGURE 5, of the box B. Conveniently each latch 26 has a stop portion such as 26a for hearing against the side wall SW1 of the box B. The adjustable setting of the latch by the screw 31 limits the inward movement of the latch 26. Pro-adjustment of the bracket 25 on the transfer side arm 10, FIGURE 3, is such that the roller 39 has a slight wedging action on the rear wall RW, FIGURE 5, of the box to urge the box against the pressure of the leaf springs of the limit stops such as 13 and thereby so gripping the box between these parts that reliance is not placed on the spring 32 for holding the latch 26 in the inward position.

Referring again to FIGURE 4 the provision of the bar 43 at the inner side of the guide strip 40 ensures rigidity of the strip 40 while the roller 37 rolls along the outer side of it. However in the next advance of the transfer mechanism 4 from the conveyor belt 2 to the wrapping machine 3, carrying a box assembly B with it, the roller 37 travels at the inner side of the rail strip 40 at the position shown in FIGURE 5 spaced inwardly a short distance from the rail strip 40, until a position is reached, FIGURE 6, Where the roller 37 strikes the inner side of the curved part 40a of the rail strip 40 so that the strip, being of spring nature, and unsupported from the outer side except by the rivets 41, 42 is caused to flex outwardly to allow the roller 37 to pass by it in its passage into the wrapping machine 3.

The final position of the latch 26, when the transfer mechanism 4 is in the wrapping machine, is shown in FIGURE 7 whereat it remains engaged with the 'box B while the form block 11 is lowered to carry the box assembly, as disclosed in said U.S. Patent No. 3,101,655, past side and end control elements which wipe the wrapper flaps upwardly about the sides of the lid and the sides of the walls of the box body.

It will be appreciated that the provision of the latch devices 23, 24 enable boxes with lids to be thus wrapped since the box becomes attached to the transfer mechanism only at the four corners of the walls thereof so that even if the side walls of the box lid bow outwardly there are no parts extending closely along the sides of the box which would foul these bowed walls of the lid when the forward end of the conveyor is raised to present the flaps to the suction or other control elements. It will be further understood that since the boxes are upturned, they could not be gripped to the transfer mechanism by clips which have been used with open topped boxes to grip the front wall of the box to the transfer mechanism. However since the latch devices are removable, the machine is readily convertible between use of the clips for open topped boxes and use of the latch devices for closed or open topped boxes.

The adjustment of the latch device along the bars -9, 10 provide for boxes of different lengths, and sideways adjustments of the bars 9, 10 and 43, 43' allow for boxes of different widths.

Heretofore it has been considered necessary to support only the leading edges of the wrapper flaps by suction or other control devices, but, particularly in instances where for example the box is of greater depth than its width, there is a tendency for the rear flap when it leaves the conveyor to curl under in such a manner that it is not properly controlled in the wrapping machine.

In order to avoid this there may be attached to each latch device a suction or other control device such as indicated at 45 in FIGURE 6 which is carried by an arm 46, FIGURE 3, adjustably secured by screw 47 and slot 48 to the latch 26, with a similar arrangement at the other side of the box associated with the latch 26', as shown at 46', 47, 48' in FIGURE 8.

Each or any of the control devices may be of blow jet form as disclosed in our U.S. Patent No. 3,122,975 to which reference is directed for full details.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for feeding boxes on glued wrappers to a Wrapping machine, comprising an intermittently driven conveyor belt for conveying boxes on their wrappers towards the wrapping machine, and a transfer mechanism comprising side carrying arms at opposite sides of the path of the boxes and wrappers and movable to and from the conveyor and the wrapping machine, a pair of front stops one on each side carrying arm for locating each end of the front of a box, and a pair of latch devices one on each side carrying arm and each including a latch which is movable laterally for temporarily locating each end of the rear of the box, a pair of bell crank latch devices one on each side carrying arm and each including a latch, and a pair of side control devices operably associated with said bell crank latch devices to move said latches laterally for temporarily locating each end of the rear of the box.

2. A transfer feed mechanism for box wrapping machines comprising a support frame, a two-sided carrier movable horizontally on said support frame between advance and return positions, limit stop means adjustably positioned on each side of said carrier and towards one end of said carrier for arresting engagement, when the carrier is in the return position, with a front wall of an advancing box-like article, movable latch means adjustably positioned on each side of said carrier and towards the other end of said carrier for inwards spring movement to behind the box-like article when the carrier is in the return position, so that the carrier in its movement to the advance position carries the box-like article with it, and means operatively associated with the carrier and adapted at one end for outwards retracting the movable latch means so that in the movement of the carrier to the return position the latch means is clear of a boxlike article at the return position and adapted at the other end for allowing the spring movement of the movable latch means to behind the article, whereby the mechanism can be used on box-like articles of closed top form.

3. Mechanism as claimed in claim 2 having, for mounting said movable latch means on said carrier, attachment means of readily removable kind, and wherein clips are provided with similar readily removable attachment means so that the clips can be substituted for the movable latch means when required for use on box-like articles of open top form.

4. Mechanism as claimed in claim 2 having pick-up control means carried by each said side movable latch means for control of a rear flap at the box-like article.

5. Mechanism as claimed in claim 2 having follower means on said movable latch means, and guide rail means with which said follower means is adapted to co-operate and which is adapted by carried portions to cause such movements of said follower means as will cause the required outwards retracting movements of said movable latch means, and is adapted by cutout portions to allow the required inwards spring movements.

6. Mechanism as claimed in claim 2 having two opposite side bars on said carrier, two said limit stops one on each of said side bars, two said movable latches one on each of said side bars, and means for adjusting the side bars, the stops, and the latches to suit box-like articles of different sizes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,705,905 4/ 1955 Lange et al. 93--54.2 3,101,655 8/1963 Williams 9354 2,645,365 7/1953 Haessler.

2,986,289 5/1961 Zion.

3,220,564 11/ 1965 Teago.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner 10 N. ABRAMS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 9354; 2141 

